ABSTRACT
Form-meaning connections (FMCs) have long occupied the interest of second language acquisition (SLA) researchers. From the early research on acquisition orders to current day minimalist discussion of the interface between syntax and morphology, FMCs have been an integral component of SLA. Learners must grapple with verb inflections, nominal inflections, particles, determiners, and other FMCs as they work their way toward the creation of a linguistic system that bears resemblance to the L2. Just what is involved in the creation of FMCs? Are the processes different from those involving syntax, for example? To what extent does their creation involve multiple processes? What are the relative contributions of learner internal factors and aspects of the input itself?
